Slavisa Jokanovic is preparing Watford for their return to the Premier League, although it is far from certain he will still be at the club next season.
The former Chelsea midfielder has led the Hornets to a second-place finish in the Championship this season, missing out on the title only when Sheffield Wednesday grabbed a late equaliser at Vicarage Road on the final day of the campaign. Despite this minor setback, it didn’t stop the fans celebrating wildly when the team took an open-bus parade on Bank Holiday Monday.
You could be forgiven for thinking Watford are now rushing to tie Jokanovic to a new contract, particularly as his current deal, which he signed in October last year, will expire in the coming weeks. And although it is far from certain the 46-year-old will extend his stay at the club, he has revealed that talks over his future are imminent and, for the time being, it is business as usual.
“Today is a day for celebrating and to be happy, it’s a nice day for the club and the fans,” Jokanovic said as he and his team took the plaudits from the supporters during the parade on Monday. “In the next days we will start thinking about the future of this club. My obligation and the club’s obligation is to be ready (for the Premier League), to be competitive and to build a team to win games.”
Following the 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion in their penultimate match which would confirm Watford’s promotion to the top-flight, Sky Sports sources claimed that Jokanovic was close to signing a new contract. The Daily Mirror, meanwhile, believe the Serb will be offered a one-year rolling contract, which will be worth £1million plus bonuses for keeping them in the Premier League.
How do you think Watford will fare in the Premier League next season, and should the board show their full support to Slavisa Jokanovic by handing him a long-term contract?
